Exemplary embodiments relate generally to redundant power supplies, and more particularly to power management of redundant power supplies.
There are significant industry-wide concerns with energy consumption in modern data centers. A data center or datacenter, also called a server farm, is a facility used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems. It generally includes redundant or backup power supplies, redundant data communications connections, environmental controls (e.g., air conditioning, fire suppression) and security devices. The cost of providing electrical power to a data center has become a dominant purchasing consideration, which many consider to be more significant than the cost of the actual hardware, software, and management services. Recent industry reports indicate that data center power consumption has doubled in the past 5 years, and will double again in the next 5 years unless steps are taken to mitigate this trend. Recognizing this, IBM® and many other companies have begun “green” or environmentally friendly initiatives.